Washington - us/94SeattleWastewater The lowest bidder for the 35.4 km (22 mile) Brightwater conveyance system, east contract in north King and south Snohomish County is the Kenny / Shea / Traylor JV with a bid price of USD130,648,750. The followers are the Jay Dee / Coluccio JV (USD144,765,000), the Impregilo / Healy JV (USD151,683,000), Obayashi (USD152,500,000), the Kiewit / Bilfinger Berger JV (USD174,224,000) and the Vinci / Parsons RCI / Frontier-Kemper JV (USD188,740,000). The contract is for digging one section of a 20.1 km (13 mile) tunnel from the future plant to Puget Sound. It will include a 4,270 m-long (14,000 foot) 5.5 m-diameter (18 foot) tunnel from the North Creek Business Park in Bothell to the plant site north of Woodinville next to State Route 9, two deep shafts for launching and removing the TBM, installing four pipes in the tunnel ranging from 68.6 cm (27 inches) to 213 cm (84 inches) in diameter and fibre-optic cables. The tunnel will be filled with concrete after those installations. In addition, the contractor will dig a smaller 732 m-long (2,400 foot) 1.83 m-diameter tunnel from the North Creek tunnel portal to the existing North Creek pump station and excavate a smaller shaft for a new Brightwater pump station. The project is scheduled to begin in early 2006. After tunnelling is completed, another contractor will build a pump station for sending wastewater to the Brightwater plant.King County will advertise two more tunnelling contracts in 2006. Total construction cost for the wastewater conveyance system is an estimated USD705 million. More in E-News Weekly 44/2005. Visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/brightwater and www.ecy.wa.gov 44/05.King County has awarded its first contract for the USD1.5 billion Brightwater wastewater treatment plant. The Kenny Construction / J.F. Shea / Traylor JV has received a USD131 million contract to build the eastern segment of the plant's sewer line system. The 4,270 m-long tunnel will extend from the North Creek Business Park in Bothell to the plant site at Highways 9 and 522 north of Woodinville. Construction is to begin in spring. A TBM will be used to create a tunnel about 5.5 m in diameter at depths of up to 80 m below the surface. The work will include excavating a 22.5 m-deep shaft that will be used to launch the TBM, installing four pipes in the tunnel ranging from 68 cm to 2.1 in diameter, and installing three fibre-optic cables for monitors. Click us/94. Read E-News Weekly 44/2005. Visit www.kennyconstruction.com, http://jfshea.com and www.traylor.com 02/06.The Kenny / Shea / Traylor JV has purchased a 5.8 m-diameter Lovat EPB TBM to be delivered in June 2007 to build a 4.3 km portion of King County's 23 km Brightwater tunnel from North Creek to the Brightwater treatment plant. The TBM RME229SE will be mixed-face with a dressing of 32 ripper teeth, interchangeable with 12" twin tip disc cutters. The cutting head will be powered by four 300 kW hydraulic drive motors which will provide the cutting head with 2,900 to 6,500 kNm of torque from 1.8 rpm to 4 rpm. The machine will have a maximum propulsion thrust of 4,100 tonnes at 340 bar and a stroke of 2.3 metres. Operating at up to 3 bar, the TBM will feature a two-stage 91 cm-diametre screw conveyor.The project involves construction of two 25 m shafts (for TBM launching and retrieval) and a 5.1 metre ID tunnel comprised of rings of prefabricated reinforced concrete segments (4 pieces + 2 keys per ring). The tunnel alignment will range from a depth of 12 to 82 metres and have water levels above the tunnel invert ranging from 9 to 32 metres. The TBM is expected to encounter sedimentary deposits comprised of fine to medium sands with organic silts, coarse sands and gravel with some clays and scattered boulders. Visit www.lovat.com 30/06.Invitation to tender, deadline 21st September, 2006 for the USD105.4 million west tunnel of the Brightwater conveyance system (section 4), which consists of the construction of approx. 6,430 metres of 3.96 m minimum diameter segment lined tunnel, 762 metres of which is secondarily lined to a 3.05 m minimum diameter, 165 metres of 1.52 m microtunnelled effluent sewer, and one portal structure 15.2 m deep for launching a TBM. Also in the contract is the construction of a sampling facility. Visit www.metrokc.gov/procurement/rfpdocs/2006/July/Construction/C00007C06/C00007C06.pdf or contact King County, tel. +1 2062633735, fax +1 2066841486, e-mail crystal.graham@metrokc.gov 36/06.French construction and concessions group Vinci Construction Grands Projets, in JV with Parsons RCI (20%) and Frontier-Kemper Constructors (20%), has won a USD209.7 million contract from King County to build two tunnels in south Snohomish and north King counties in the US state of Washington. The tunnels are part of the central portion of the 26 km Brightwater conveyance tunnel, the region's largest clean water project in 40 years. The scope of work on the central tunnel contract includes building two tunnels, one from Kenmore to the North Creek Business Park in Bothell and another from Kenmore to Ballinger Way Northeast in Shoreline. The combined length of the tunnels is about 9.6 km. The joint venture, based in Montreal, will dig up one 6.1 km-long tunnel and another 3.6 km, which will both connect a wastewater management centre north of Seattle. Visit www.vinci.com, www.parsons.com or www.rci-group.com and www.frontier-kemper.comConstruction of the 4.27 m-diameter tunnels, which will be lined with prefabricated concrete segments, begins 28th August, 2006 and will last 51 months. Crews will use two 5.3 m OD slurry TBMs and will also excavate two deep shafts of 28 m and 63 m deep - one near the intersection of 80th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 192nd Street in Kenmore, and another along Ballinger Way Northeast in Shoreline - to launch and remove the TBMs. Pressures will reach up to 7 bars.The contractor will install six pipes in the tunnel ranging from 36 cm to 3.2 m in diameter along with two fibre optic cables to monitor Brightwater facilities. Portions of the tunnel around the pipes will be filled with concrete after those installations.In addition, the contractor will trench a smaller 1,036 m-long pipeline from the Kenmore portal to connect the new Brightwater pipes to the existing local sewer system using a combination of open cut and approx. 500 metres of microtunnel construction. Construction on the central tunnel is scheduled to be completed in 2010.The county has already selected Jacobs Civil to provide construction management services for the conveyance facilities. MWH/Jacobs Associates is designing the system as a joint venture and CDM is providing geotechnical work as part of tunnel design. Visit www.jacobs.com, www.mwhglobal.com, www.jacobssf.com and www.cdm.com 36/06.The east segment of the Brightwater tunnel construction, from North Creek to the treatment plant site on State Route 9, has been awarded to a joint venture of Kenny, J. F. Shea and Traylor. The contract includes approx. 4.27 km of 4.89 m ID tunnel containing four pipes and three fibre optic cables, construction of launch and receiving shafts, pump station excavation and shoring, and 731 m of microtunnel. Click us/94. Read E-News Weekly 44/2005. Visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/brightwater/contracts/conveycontracts.htm 36/06.Three firms submitted bids for contract C00007C06 for the west segment of the 20.9 km USD1.62 billion Brightwater conveyance system. The apparent low bid submitted by joint venture Jay Dee/Coluccio/Taisei was USD102.1 million compared to King County's estimate of USD105.5 million. The other bids came from Kenny/Shea/Traylor JV at USD106.9 million and Kiewit/Bilfinger Berger at USD124.5 million.The contract includes a 6.4 km tunnel extending from Point Wells in unincorporated Snohomish County to Ballinger Way in Shoreline. The selected contractor will excavate a 15.2 m-deep portal at Point Wells to launch a tunnel boring machine. This machine will dig the 4 m-diameter tunnel and build the pipe underground without disrupting the surface.In addition, the contractor will microtunnel a smaller 164.6 m effluent tunnel about 1.5 m in diameter. Also included in the contract is the construction of a sampling facility in the portal at Point Wells to monitor treated wastewater going into Puget Sound. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2007. Click us/94. Visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/brightwater/index.htm 43/06.

  The California Department of Transportation is inviting bids, deadline 2nd September, 2006 for contract 04-1123U4, project plans for construction on state highway in San Mateo County near Pacifica from km 4.7 to km 1 south of Lindamar Boulevard, including construction of the Devil's Slide twin bore tunnel (1,220 m). The tunnel will be 9.15 m wide, with 2.45 m wide shoulders, and will cross the San Pedro mountains. Contact Department of Transportation, Plans and Bid Documents, Room 0200, MS #26, Transportation Building, 1120 N Street, Sacramento, California 95814. Tel. +1 9166544490, fax +1 9166547028, e-mail Duty_Senior_District04@dot.ca.govThe sequential excavation method (SEM) will be employed to excavate and support the mined tunnels of both standard and enlarged cross sections, cross passages, equipment chambers, access passages, shotcrete canopies at south portals, and niches. The SEM utilizes NATM principles, modified so as to predetermine the various support measures required, defined as support categories, along different parts of the tunnels. The support requirements are determined in advance to suite generalized conditions along the tunnel and support measures are changed to maintain stability and safety of the excavation. The SEM utilizes a set of support measures for each category including the following: lattice girders, ground water drainage, grouted steel pipes (pipe arch canopy), rock dowels of different types, spiles of different types, face bolts and reinforced shotcrete. Read E-News Weekly 40/2004 & 37/2004. For full details, visit www.dot.ca.gov/hq/esc/oe/project_ads_addenda/04/04-1123U4/pdf/04-1123U4sp.pdf and www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/construction/Inquiries/04-1123U4_inquiry.html. Visit also www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/dslide 31-32/06.The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) opened the bidding process on 21st November, 2006 for potential builders of a tunnel under Montara Mountain on the coast of San Mateo County that would serve as a bypass to the Devil's Slide area on state Highway 1. The department now has 30 calendar days to choose between two separate bids. One bid, proposed by Kiewit Pacific, would cost nearly USD272.4 million, USD32 million over what Caltrans predicted, and the construction work would take an estimated 1,500 days. Another bid was put up by a joint venture of three construction companies - Shea, Traylor and Atkinson. Their offer was nearly USD50 million more costly than the first and the companies estimate it would take 1,900 days to complete the tunnel. After a winning bid is selected, work on the tunnel could begin as early as summer 2007. Click us/93. Visit www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/dslide/index.html 49/06.

Request for Information, deadline 14th January, 2005 to seek statements of interest for the design, construction, improvement, maintenance and/or operation of a second Midtown tunnel under the Elizabeth River and approach roads between Portsmouth and Norfolk. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will consider responses and determine whether to solicit conceptual proposals.The proposed Midtown Tunnel Corridor Project is located between the Interchange of Martin Luther King (Route 58) and western freeways in Portsmouth and Brambleton Avenue in Norfolk. The new crossing would carry a 4-lane tunnel. The existing Midtown tunnel (1,280 m) opened in 1962. Contact Virginia Department of Transportation, Daniele J. Noland, Project Manager, Innovative Project Delivery Division, 1401 East Broad Street Richmond, Virginia 23219. Visit www.virginiadot.org/business/resources/rfi-mtcp.pdf 46/04.Solicitation for conceptual proposals, deadline 29th September, 2008 for improvements to the Downtown tunnel, the Midtown tunnel and the Martin Luther King (MLK) freeway extension between Norfolk and Portsmouth in the Hampton Roads area, as part of a plan to make an estimated USD1 billion. The project is comprised of a new two-lane tunnel under the Elizabeth river parallel to the existing Midtown tunnel, maintenance and safety improvements to the existing Midtown tunnel, minor modifications to the interchange at Brambleton/Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk, maintenance and safety improvements to the existing Downtown tunnel, and extending the MLK from LondonBoulevard to Interstate 264 (I-264), with an interchange at High Street. The project includes the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance. The entire project will be financed through tolls through a public-private partnership. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will award a contract by 2010 and complete construction by 2015. Visit www.virginiadot.org/projects/hamptonroads/downtown_tunnel-midtown_tunnel-mlk_extension.asp 25/08.

USDOT has approved a loan of USD422 million for Virginia for an immediate start to construction of the new Midtown tunnel and rehabilitation of existing links. VDOT is in a PPP with Elizabeth River Crossings, a JV of Skanska and Macquarie, which will finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the tunnels under a 58-year concession. Visit us/92 and http://midtowntunnel.org/. 16/12.

Transdyn was selected to design, build, and maintain an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and Facilities Management SCADA System for the EUR1.11 billion (US$1.45 billion) Elizabeth River Tunnels Project in the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, Virginia. Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Elizabeth River Crossings (ERC) have partnered to construct a new Midtown Tunnel, rehabilitate the existing Midtown and Downtown tunnels, and extend the Martin Luther King (MLK) Expressway. Construction started last 10.01.2013. Click us/92. Visit http://driveert.com/ and www.transdyn.com. 15/13.

  While the West Side CSO tunnel is under construction to reduce sewage into the Willamette river, the 9.15 km East Side CSO tunnel is under design. Currently, the planned interior diameter of the tunnel is approximately 6.7 m while the outer diameter of the tunnel is approximately 7.6 m. The final size of the tunnel and the liner are still being evaluated and have not been finalised yet. The tunnel is planned to be excavated through the use of a pressure face TBM to maintain face stability and minimise ground losses in the soft ground conditions. Two types of closed face TBMs were identified for potential use on this project: slurry face and earth pressure balance machines. It is currently assumed that two TBMs would be used to complete the project. The two TBMs that are being used for the West Side CSO tunnel would not be used on the East Side due to their different diameters. The lining is expected to consist of bolted precast reinforced concrete segments. The mucking-out technique has not yet been evaluated and will be dependent on the selected tunnelling equipment. Options for discharge and transport of excavated material include conveyor, truck, barge and/or rail. The five shortlisted JVs are Bouygues / Traylor / J.F. Shea; Flatiron / Wayss & Freytag / Fluor; Impregilo / S.A. Healy / Obayashi; ESCSO Tunnel Constructors which consists of Morgan Est, Arup and Soletanche Bachy; and Kiewit / Bilfinger Berger. A Notice to Proceed to begin construction of the project is anticipated to be issued to the selected contractor in January of 2006. It is currently estimated that tunnelling would begin on May 2007 and end on July 2010. More in E-News Weekly 40/2004. Visit www.portlandonline.com/cso 40/04.The City of Portland will negotiate with a JV of Kiewit and Bilfinger Berger for a contract to build the East Side Big Pipe. Construction will start in 2006 on the final project in the city's combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The East Side Big Pipe will be a 9 km 6.5 m-diameter tunnel to capture sewage and stormwater on the east side of the Willamette River and carry it to the wastewater treatment plant. The Portland City Council will consider approving the pre-construction contract in late March. Construction is estimated to cost approximately USD500 million and will be finished in 2011. Visit www.portlandonline.com/cso, www.kiewit.com/eastsidecso and www.bilfinger.de 06/05.

  Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority has awarded a USD600 million contract to Eastside LRT Constructors, a JV of Washington Group International, Obayashi and Shimmick Construction for building of the 9.6 km East Los Angeles extension of the Gold Line. Running from the present Gold Line terminus at Union Station, it will run through the densely-populated areas of Little Tokyo, Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles. There will be eight stations at Little Tokyo/Arts District, Pico/Aliso, Mariachi Plaza, Soto Street, Indiana, Maravilla, East LA Civic Center and Pomona/Atlantic. A 2.9 km twin-bore tunnel under Boyle Heights including two underground stations need to be built. The extension is expected to open in mid-2009. Visit www.mta.net, www.wgint.com and www.ocac.com 33-34/04.For the twin bored tunnels (2.75 km long) to be built under the Boyle Heights neighbourhood of East Los Angeles, as part of the 9.6 km Gold Line eastside extension, the internal and external diameters will be 5.74 m and 6.27 m respectively. Two Herrenknecht Earth Pressure Balance TBMs will be used for tunnel excavation. The tunnels are expected to be constructed in alluvial soils consisting of dense to very dense coarse-grained soils, and stiff to hard low plasticity clays and silts. Groundwater levels vary from below to above the tunnel invert. Precast concrete bolted segments with 24 m of fabricated steel liners at Soto station connections. The number of segments per ring is five plus a key. They are being manufactured by Traylor Shea Ghazi Precast. Muck removal by locomotives and muck cars. There are two underground stations Boyle and Soto. The station platform lengths will be 82 m. The Boyle station will be the first underground station as the trains are running outbound from downtown Los Angeles. The excavation is about 183 m long by 18 m wide. A cut-and-cover tunnel section extends from the west end of the station to the west portal. The second station excavation in Soto is about 100 m long x 18 m wide. The cut-and-cover method of construction with braced excavation will be used. Initial support system consists of soldier piles and lagging, deck beams and concrete decking. Other structures will include two portals at the west and east ends of the tunnel. Construction of the east portal has begun. Six crosspassages will also be constructed between tunnels. Currently, the Boyle station is being excavated and soldier piling is near completion at Soto station. TBMs are in fabrication. Tunnelling is scheduled to begin in December 2005. Click us/89. Visit www.mta.net, www.metro.net and www.herrenknecht.com 24/05.

Obayashi and Atlanta-based minority contractor MassAna Construction is the lowest bidder among the five teams who made an offer to build the Clear Creek and North Avenue tunnels, that will drain areas north of downtown Atlanta, and a pumping station. The JV offered a $210.2 million bid, 22% lower than the two closest competing bids of USD267.9 million and USD270 million. Contract signing planned on 30th March, 2004 with Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management. Two 8.2 m-diameter tunnels, each about 6.4 km in length, will be bored using two hard rock TBMs. Mucking-out with conveyor belts. The North Avenue tunnel would run south to north, beginning west of the college and ending at the R.M. Clayton Water Reclamation Center in northwest Atlanta. The Clean Creek tunnel will run east to west. The tunnels would intersect near the college and flow north to the R.M. Clayton pumping station. Construction to begin late next year. More details in E-News Weekly 13/2004. Visit www.ci.atlanta.ga.us/government/watershed.aspx and www.obayashi.co.jp/english 13/04.Obayashi and MassAna Construction ordered two Herrenknecht hard rock TBMs to excavate Atlanta's west area CSO storage tunnels. The 800-ton 91 m-long TBMs are open-style main beam machines, equipped with a 8,235 mm-diameter cutting head. The total installed main drive power is 3,200 kW, the thrust force is approximately 18,000 kN and the expected average compressive strength is 175 MPa. Geology made of fine to medium grained gneiss. Continuous conveyor for mucking-out. Cast in situ concrete lining. Machines to arrive in June 2005 for expected tunnelling start in July/August 2005.Contract A includes the 6,405 m 7.32 m finished diameter Clear Creek tunnel excavated by TBM in deep rock, 244 m of drill/blast excavated 3.35 m-diameter tunnel, one 4 m-diameter flow intake shaft structure and two 12.2 m-diameter shafts. Contract B includes the North Avenue tunnel and pumping station, consisting of a 7,140 m 7.32 m finished diameter deep rock tunnel, two 12.2 m-diameter shafts, a submersible type pumping station and one 7.32 m-diameter emergency overflow shaft and channel. Subscribe to E-News Weekly 13/2004. Visit www.herrenknecht.com 30/04.

The proposed rail freight tunnel that would run under the harbour from Brooklyn to New Jersey has received $2 million in federal funding to complete its Environmental Impact Study (EIS), and then begin preengineering work if the study proves favourable. Estimated costs for the construction of the tunnel range from $1 billion to more than $2 billion, based on the number of tracks that would run through the tunnel. One- and two-rail options are being explored. Read E-News Weekly # 46. 09/03.

C$450-million private sector financing sought by the Detroit River Tunnel Partnership (DRTP) as part of an estimated C$600 million (US$400 million) plan to convert the current twin-tube rail tunnel under the Detroit river across the border between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan into a truck route and to build a new single-tube rail tunnel to accommodate all rail cars. Preliminary designs and preparatory work almost completed. DRTP is a partnership between Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and Borealis Transportation Infrastructure Trust (BTIT). The tunnel could be completed in early 2007. More info in E-News Weekly # 33. 36/02.

Tender alert for construction of 5.74 km-long, 7.64 m internal diameter Euclid Creek Storage Tunnel (ECT). To be driven in Chagrin Shale, with possible gas, at average depth 63.65 m. Includes construction of four flow drop shafts and 12.7 m-diameter access shaft on 5.4 acre site at Bratenahl. Tunnel lining from within TBM tailskin using bolted, gasketed, steel fibre reinforced concrete segments with backgrouting. Advertisement imminent. More from Kellie Rotunno at NEORSD in Cleveland, OH, tel +1 216 881-6600 or visit www.neorsd.org/ect. Project history in tunnelbuilder archive us/76. 31/10.

EUR160 million, 5.74 km-long, 7.64 m internal diameter Euclid Creek Storage Tunnel (ECT) getting underway by contractor McNally/Kiewit ECT JV in Chagrin Shale, with possible gas, at average depth 63.65 m. Contract includes construction of four flow drop shafts and 12.7 m-diameter access shaft completed on 5.4 acre site at Bratenahl. Tunnel lining from within TBM tailskin using bolted, gasketed, steel fibre reinforced concrete segments with backgrouting. More from Kellie Rotunno at NEORSD in Cleveland, OH, tel +1 216 881-6600 or visit www.neorsd.org/ect. Project history in tunnelbuilder archive us/76. Project management by Hatch Mott MacDonald www.hatchmott.com/projects/euclid-creek-cso. 23/12.

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District has awarded a $116.8 million contract to the J.F. Shea Construction, Inc./Kenny Construction Co. jv to build a 11.4 km sewer at the northwest side of Milwaukee County. The tunnel, with a finished diameter of 6.1 m and an excavation diameter of 6.7 m, will be lined with 30.5 cm of cast-in-place concrete. There will also be a 6.1 m-diameter access shaft, a 7.3 m-diameter valve shaft, and three diversion structures with approach channel, drop shaft, vent shaft, deaeration chamber, and access shaft. The sewer is between 36 m and 50 m deep. Excavation in Niagaran age dolomite with average unconfined compressive strength and indirect tensile strength of 30,000 psi and 2,000 psi, respectively. The overlying soils are generally described as heterogeneous, complex, and interbedded layers of Holocene (recent) and glacial deposits. One Robbins TBM will be used from a single heading (south). All muck will be removed from the south shaft. Initial rock support will be primarily by rockbolts although there are provisions for steel channels and ribs if necessary. Preliminary engineering was performed by the jv of Rust Environment & Infrastructure/Harza Engineering with final design being completed by Black & Veatch, Inc. Financing by the MMSD through the local tax base with some assistance from the State of Wisconsin Clean Water Loan Fund. A notice to proceed is expected on 1st April, 2002 and construction time is 44 months. Visit www.mmsd.com, www.jfshea.com or www.bv.com/bv/index.htm 10/02.The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) announced that Affholder was awarded the contract to build the 27th Street deep tunnel, a 3.2 km-long 6.4 m-diameter tunnel about 90 metres underground in bedrock to hold wastewater and help prevent sewer overflows. The USD65.3 million extension, from West Hampton Avenue and North 30th Street in Milwaukee, where it will be connected to the North Shore leg of the tunnel system, to North Sydney Place and West Mill Road in Glendale, is part of MMSD's USD1 billion Overflow Reduction Plan. The tunnel will store up to 102.2 million litres of wastewater when it is completed by 31st December, 2009 boosting the tunnel system's total storage capacity to 2 billion litres.Insituform Technologies, parent of contractor Affholder, said on 29th March, 2007 that it will exit the tunnelling business in an effort to focus on its core operations of rehabilitating, replacing and maintaining sewer and water pipelines primarily for municipal customers. Insituform said it will seek a buyer or buyers for its tunnelling business and associated assets. Read E-News Weekly 15/2007 for more. Visit www.mmsd.com/news/27thStDeepTunnelNR.pdf 15/07.